Oamaru to get new air service

 

Representatives from Dunedin-based Mainland Air were in Oamaru yesterday to meet with the Waitaki District Council and business people as they discuss plans to launch services from the Oamaru Airport in mid-January. Mainland Air pilot and operations manager Phil Kean confirmed the service would likely begin early in the new year, but details had changed since the initial proposal. "It's looking good, it's looking great actually," Mr Kean said. "But there's a bit more homework to be done yet, there's no use us rushing into it and then stopping it because of lack of patronage." He said the support from Oamaruvians had been encouraging. "The people most likely to use it are business and corporate travellers mainly and everything for them stops mid-December and starts again mid-January. So there's no use in us starting it and then stopping in mid-December," Mr Kean said. "That will also give people plenty of time to get themselves in the frame of mind to use it." Mainland Air will permanently base a plane in Oamaru to service the Oamaru to Christchurch route. "It would be Oamaru's own service," Mainland Air general manager Shirley Kean said. The ideal service for Oamaru would be flying to Christchurch at 7am and returning to Oamaru at 8am, then flying out of Oamaru to Christchurch again at 5pm and returning to Oamaru at 6pm. "That means you could leave Oamaru at 7am and be in Auckland by 11am," Mr Kean said. Having two departures and two arrivals daily would depend on demand. "We'll probably start with a smaller plane [a five-seater], then upgrade to a nine-seater if more people booked for the flight," Mrs Kean said. "It looks really promising, and the contacts that we've made in Oamaru have been really, really positive." They hoped to be based in Oamaru for the long haul and become an airline that local people could depend on. Oamaru was the only town of its size without a regular air service. The Oamaru-based plane would be available for other services between the regular flights. For example, for a charter flight to Wellington which would take about an hour and a half. Waitaki Tourism Board chairwoman Annabel Berry said she was thrilled the service was going ahead. She said there would be "huge potential" to attract people from as far afield as Wellington and Auckland to Oamaru for events and conferences. "We've got all of the facilities, so we'll be looking at targeting domestic tourism," she said. "It's brilliant, I'm absolutely thrilled." Waitaki District Council chief executive officer Michael Ross said it would be great to see more people coming and going from Oamaru. The Waitaki District Council would look at introducing Mainland Air to the Oamaru business community to get the service started. "It will be positive for the area," he said. A website booking system and an 0800 number will be available for bookings. Mainland Air services is based at Dunedin Airport. Established in 1991, it specialises in scenic flights across the southern tourist basin, private and business charter services anywhere in New Zealand, geological and ecological aerial survey work and air ambulance transfers. The company also operates a flight training school.

 

Source : http://www.oamarumail.co.nz/news/passenger-flights-take-off-in-january/1583932/